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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mark — a grade
  5. firm — decided
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pass — a permit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wax — to grow
  15. perch — the fish
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. firm — steady
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mark — a trace
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com